Expanding waistline and straining eyes are among negatives keeping employees with desk job from being completely content.

Expanding waistline, not getting enough sunlight and straining eyes in front of a computer are among a number of negatives keeping employees with a desk job from being completely content, a new study has found.

Researchers based their study on surveys of 2,095 employees who typically work behind a desk and 1,102 people who don’t normally work behind a desk.

More than half the employees who were desk-bound said that not getting enough physical activity, staring at a computer screen for most of the day and being stuck inside are the biggest disadvantages of having a desk job.

As many as 24 per cent people surveyed by CareerBuilder said they do not like working at a desk because there is not enough variety in their work, while 23 per cent said the biggest downside is that there are too many distractions, ‘Business News Daily’ reported.

The study found that nearly half of desk-job employees surveyed have gained weight in their current position compared to 30 per cent of workers in non-desk jobs.

Overall, 58 per cent of workers in desk jobs categorise themselves as overweight compared to 51 per cent of their peers in non-desk jobs, the report said.

Researchers found working behind a desk is not all bad, though. Employees who work in desk jobs reported earning higher salaries and felt more content with their paychecks.

Among the other advantages employees see in working behind a desk include having access to technology, such as the Internet, having a job that isn’t physically demanding, the opportunity to communicate with company leaders and peers more easily, and the ability to stay in the loop on new company developments.